Protein Powder Rules: Part 2 : Whey Protein First
Whey is the most critical protein poweder to have in your arsenal. It’s the fastest-digesting protein you can buy, which means it’s perfect when you need to slam amino acids into your muscles - such as when you wake (Rule #5), before workouts (Rule #7) and after (Rule #9). But the type of aminos it contains is also key. Whey has a high proportion of branched-chain amino acides ( BCAAs), the most critical ones for stiumulating muscle growth. In addition, plenty of research shows that whey is extremely good at boosting muscle protein synthesis (the process in muscle cells that leads to growht), particularly around workout time. Compounding that is the fact that whey’s peptides, or small protien fragments, have been shown to enhance blood flow, which can bring more muscle-boosting nutrients to muscle cells.
So make sure that at the very least your supplement shelf has a jug of whey protein. Look for a product that contains at least some w hey protein isolate, which digests more quickly than whey protein concentrate. Feeling a bit flush? Try a whey that contains hydroysates, which are whey proteins broken down into smaller fragments - it digests faster than isolate but also costs more.
Credit: Muscle & Fitness Magazine
By Jordana Brown and Jim Stoppani
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/
Protein Powder Rules: Part 1 : Know when to eat your protein and when to drink it.
Without a doubt, the best protein you can get comes from meat - poultry, seafood, beef - eggs and dairy products. That may be a funny thing to say in an article about protein powder, but it’s true for good reason. The most basic explanation is that our bodies are built to extract protein from whole food animal sources, which remain the most natural and best way for us to get the nine essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce.
Yet there are times when whole foods aren’t the best option for protein, such as: first thing in the […] Continue Reading…
Dear Self… You’ve Been Slacking Part 3
I guess the title now is pretty misleading because lately I have been going pretty regularly and I am back on track. My current weight is at about 169/170 depending on the time of day (target goal 175). Which is up from when I started a few weeks ago around 164/165, My diet has improved and the drink mix Muscle Juice which I mix with my Sundesa Shaker Cup gives me an extra 1200 calories per shake has certainly contributed to my gained weight.
Since the weather is getting nice out (I am in Rhode Island) I think that […] Continue Reading…
Sundesa Shaker Cup - The Best Shaker Cup out there!
As I am sure all you hard gainers out there know to gain weight in the gym you must increase your calorie and protein intake. As a hard gainer myself just eating a normal amount throughout the day is just not enough. That is why I supplement my diet with either Muscle Milk Collegiate or Muscle Juice shakes.
As the moment I am trying Muscle Juice which gives me an extra 1200 calories and 60 grams of protein per shake when mixed with skim milk. The taste is okay, not as good as Muscle Milk in my opinion but it […] Continue Reading…
Dear Self… You’ve Been Slacking Part 2
Well its been about a week since my initial slacker post and I am glad to say I have gotten my butt in gear and back in the gym on a regular basis. Sometimes life can suddenly get in the way and thats okay every once in awhile you need to take a break from the gym to prevent a complete burnout which I was quickly approaching. It also makes me realize how quickly you can start to lose your gains. I went from 173ish down to 165 in little over three weeks.
So I’ve begun my bulking routine combined […] Continue Reading…
Protein Dynamics in Exercise
I know the first thing I want to do after I exercise is go home and eat a big steak. Wait, no, that’s not right, that’s about the last thing I want to do after I exercise! That is, however, the thing I should do if I want to optimize my muscle building potential.
Well, let me start by saying you don’t have to eat a steak after exercise, but following a workout, you do need to think, “protein!” Why? Well, to get scientific, our bodies are in a constant state of protein-turnover. Proteins are […] Continue Reading…
Dear Self… You’ve Been Slacking Part 1
Hello BeachbodyTips.com readers!
This is a letter to myself because lately I have been slacking off at the gym. Work has been taking up a lot of my time in addition to a few golf vacations here and there. At my peak a month+ ago I weighed in at 175lbs max bench 245lbs, squatting 275lbs and over all I believed myself to be in good physical condition. Well I started to slack off, only going once or twice a week and really not eating all that much because I had no time. (Lame excuse I know).
Well just today I walked […] Continue Reading…
Single Serving Dilemma
Every time I take a stroll through the grocery store it seems like there’s a new variety of “100 calorie packs” on the aisle: Oreos, Goldfish, Cheetos, and so on. They seem innocent enough—practical, even, but there are two problems I see with these temptations:
#1: Stopping after one serving.
I don’t know about you, but every time I sit down with my single-serving pack fully intending to eat it and be satisfied, my mind always has a way of tricking me into thinking, “well, 100 calories isn’t much, and really, 200 calories isn’t too bad either.” […]
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Beach Body Recipe: Almond-Crusted Chicken
Almond-Crusted Chicken (makes 4 servings)
6 ounces slivered almonds
.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs
1.5 pounds boneless chickens breasts (3 or 4 breasts)
2 tsp. olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 385 F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. In a food processor, grind the almonds to the consistency of bread crumbs. In a shallow bowl, combine the almonds, cheese, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, gently whisk the eggs until combined. In an assembly line, dip each chicken breast in the egg, then coat with the nut mixture.
3. Heat […] Continue Reading…
Amazing Urban Jump Video, Reason? Workout your legs!
When in the gym a lot of us over look exercising our legs. But your legs are the largest muscles in your body and when you work them out it will release large amounts of testosterone into the body that can then be used to help build other muscles. Not to mention you don’t want to be that guy at the beach that has the huge upper body and then skinny little chicken legs.
With that said check out this video and the level of fitness this guy is in. I am sure he does a few squats here and […] Continue Reading…